Currently Ueno Zoo and Hanoi Zoo are taking the necessary steps to transfer the cranes to Vietnam.

All the transportation fees will be taken care of by Vietnam Airlines, according to Nguyen Minh Hai, Director of the national carrier’s representative office in Japan.

According to Teruyuki Komiya, Director of the oldest zoo in Japan, the cranes (Grus japonensis) are believed to live for 1,000 years and are considered a symbol of good luck and longevity in Japanese culture.

On the brink of extinction 50 years ago, the cranes' status now has been recovered thanks to Ueno Zoo’s breeding efforts.

Currently, some 1,000 members of the species have been re-introduced into the Japanese wild. Some 250 cranes are being kept in zoos throughout the country, Komiya said.